Friday, December 6, 2013

It's coming. The Christmas Holiday is finally coming. We have seen enough new tech products to make your head spin off of your shoulders this year. We have even seen some new developments and products that could help change the way we look at our technology today. New standards have been set, and bars have been raised. One prime example being the introduction of better resolution TVs. I'm talking about the 4K TV's that have been popping up this past year. Well the new trend to start arising now is the implementation of 4K resolution on your computer screen. More and more devices, like, tablets will slowly start integrating this new feature into their products.

If you're unfamiliar with what 4K actually is, it is basically the new standard for TV's and monitors everywhere. 4K is roughly, well... 4 times the resolution rate of regular HD TVs. It means that your horizontal resolution rate will have about 4,000 pixels instead of the 1920 that we see on the HD TVs today.

Since 4K means you will be getting the highest quality picture that is currently available on the market today, it also means you can expect to pay the highest prices for said top quality picture. Or some may think. What if there were, in fact, a monitor with the 4K resolution rate that so many are drooling over, for around the same price as one of the new iPads out right now? It may seem like crazy speculation, but Amazon is offering up an add for such an amazing fantasy right now! The new Seiki Digital SE39UY04 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV is out now and available for purchase at only $449.05 currently. This makes this pretty much, the cheapest 4K monitor that you can find on the market currently, and that alone makes this an almost no-brainer type of buy. It is only standing at 39 inches, so it may or may not be exactly what you are looking for in terms of a living room TV. 39 inches, however, does mean that you will be able to have an extremely large computer monitor. That is, if you decide to use it for that purpose.

The fact that a monitor can be made so cheaply and still be produced for the mass market at such a low cost in comparison is almost mind blowing. This monitor's resolution screen is exactly what any home, business, or graphics geek is looking for at an affordable price. The ability to view your editing software, your newest computer games, or fine tune your pictures and graphics for your business project in the finest detail can make such a difference at the right moment. Clarity is everything when it comes to visuals, and flat out, you are not going to find a better price for such a high resolution monitor. At least, not right now.

There are no details as to if the product is going to stay up long, or if there are going to be more models with the same capabilities within the same price range. Keep on the lookout for more products like this as this would be the perfect addition to any home or business, for the price. Also, if this is the first 4K monitor to be priced so cheaply, there are sure to be more coming in the future.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The choice of which monitor you use with your computer can determine your ability to work comfortably, enjoy high quality videos and efficiently manage multiple tasks at the same time. But oddly enough, most people will choose their computer's monitor based on what comes in a package deal, or choose the largest screen that they can get within their budget. While size does in fact matter, there are plenty of other factors to consider before purchasing the screen you'll be staring at for hours at a time.

Before you let the monster 32 inch screens seduce you, keep in mind that the screen will only be a few feet away from your face at the most. Make sure you have a big enough desk to handle that much viewing area without overwhelming your whole space.

Remember when you were always told not to sit too close to the TV or you would hurt your eyes? The same thing is true about a monitor that is too large and too close to your face. It can cause eye strain. If you're going to be using the monitor for work or surfing the net, you'll probably find that 21 to 29 inches is right where you want to be depending on the distance from your screen to your chair.

There are some other things that become more important when you enlarge the size of your screen. Resolution, meaning the amount of pixels on the screen, and pixel pitch, meaning the distance between pixels, are the biggest factors when it comes to image quality. Pixels are basically tiny boxes that change color in order to produce an image. The more pixels per square inch on the screen, the more crisp the image. A low resolution on a large screen will result in a bad picture. Smaller pixel pitch will give you a higher clarity

The graphics card inside your computer is going to determine the quality of information sent to your monitor and the speed that is is delivered. An old or low quality graphics card paired with a new top notch monitor will decrease the monitor's performance and also lower the clarity of the image that is produced on the screen. This means that most basic PC owners will not get the full value of a high end, large screen monitor unless they upgrade their computer's graphics card.

If you are upgrading your monitor but not your computer, make sure to check the connection ports on your graphics card. DVI used to be very common, but more monitors are dropping them to instead use HDMI connections instead. Both support the data transfer that is required for a high definition video, but DVI cables have pins that are prone to getting bent and require a separate cable for sound. HDMI cables do both audio and video together. DVI cables also lack support for HDCP encryption, which could limit your ability to watch any HD content at all, including blu-ray disks. You could get a DVI to HDMI converter, but that would make for a messier connection. It's best to just go with a monitor that has multiple connections.

DisplayPort connection are up and coming these days. They have a higher bandwidth, which means that they can transfer a larger amount of data at one time than DVI and HDMI. These may end up being the next big thing, but don't worry too much if your monitor of choice does not support that type of connection.

It is also important to consider a warranty when purchasing a new monitor. Most issues will either be apparent right away or surface within the first month or two of use. Make sure the monitor you choose has at least a 90 day money back guarantee, and/or a return policy that does not include restocking fees. Parts and labor should continue for another two to three years. Always make sure to read the warranty information to confirm that there is also coverage for defective pixels and backlight.

Just remember that not all monitors are made the same. Hopefully this helps you pair up with the screen of your dreams. I wish you a happy shopping experience.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Recently, Dell unveiled a prototype of a pocket-sized HDMI stick that is capable of turning any compatible computer monitor into a virtual PC that is capable of running Android apps or remotely accessing Windows apps on a cloud service or remote PC.

The prototype, known as Project Ophelia, is the brain child of Dell Wyse, the business unit formed from Dell's acquisition of Wyse Technology. Tarken Maner, former CEO of Wyse and new Vice President and General Manager of Cloud Client Computing at Dell, expects the device to cost under $100 when it is launched, though a release date has yet to be established.

The HDMI interface of the device will allow it to be used with big-screen displays like HDTVs, making Project Ophelia a relatively inexpensive way to make a computer anywhere the stick can connect to a network through either Bluetooth or WiFi. Maner believes that telecommunications companies that wish to sell cloud devices may subsidize the device in the same way they discount cell phones to customers who commit to service contracts.

On the other hand, Project Ophelia does face some pretty big hurdles. For example, most TVs in hotel rooms come with HDMI access, though a keyboard and mouse may not be readily available. Plus, if you have to bring both of those with you, you not only add bulk and cost, but you might as well bring a laptop.

While connected to an MHL-compatible display, the stick doesn't require any additional power. However, MHL is also a relatively new technology and HDTVs that have it are just now starting to pop up on the market. Without MHL, Project Ophelia must be charged through a USB connection. MHL, in case you didn't know, stands for Mobile High-Definition Link and is a technology that delivers power from the display to the device while displaying its contents.

Also, inexpensive tablets can do much of what this new dongle from Dell can already do and they don't involve the hassle of finding and setting up monitors, keyboards and mice since they already have a display and navigation functions. While it is most definitely true that a good tablet of good size will cost you well over $100, the tradeoffs may be worth it.

Source: Computer World - Turn any display into a virtual PC with Dell's HDMI stick